Faust
by the-spoon-of-doom
Summary: In a bid to win himself the Decepticon throne, Starscream strikes a deal with Unicron the Chaosbringer. The devil's due a spark. M/SS


It was the incessant ringing of a door-com that woke Starscream.

It took a long moment for him to place the sound. He had ripped the alarm system from his own quarters in a fit of rage many years ago and was unused to the noise. It wasn't until he forced optics to focus that he realised he wasn't in his own room.

Processor muddled by sleep and a lingering overcharge, it took Starscream several seconds longer than it should have to make sense of the situation.

He squinted with stinging optics. Empty cubes were strewn across the furniture. The berth covers beside him were rumpled and looked almost torn in places. His frame ached deep and an odd taste stuck to his glossa, and upon spotting the crescent-shaped bite mark dented into his left wing, he became horrifically aware that the ruined berth he was sprawled across belonged to Megatron. And likely so did the denta that had so eagerly been chewing on his wing.

His self-disgust was only forgotten when the door-com's rapid pinging morphed into a painful shriek as whoever was on the other side began holding down the button. It blared in Starscream's sensitive audials.

Seething, he rolled off the berth, stumbling gracelessly in his dishevelled state. Whomever was on the other side of that door must have been sure Megatron wasn't currently in his quarters. Harassment on this level would only result in death.

The door slid back and Starscream loomed with deadly intent over the two grinning culprits. Though looming was admittedly difficult. Rumble balanced precariously on Frenzy's shoulders, their combined height matching his own. Of course, how else would they have reached the com?

Starscream mustered up as much superiority as he could manage in his current state, dreading to imagine what he looked like after a night spent at his leader's mercy.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have you insects fired into the _sun_?"

"Megatron's orders!" Frenzy quipped from below, smile strained under the weight of his brother.

"You're wanted on the bridge," Rumble added, wobbling a little. "Ten minutes or Boss says he's coming to get you."

Starscream slapped the panel to close the door again, shutting the twins out. He had ten minutes to make himself presentable and he wasn't going to waste a second of it arguing with Soundwave's spawn.

It was infuriating to realise he knew his way around Megatron's quarters so well. How the temperature gage in the private wash racks worked, where the solvent and cleaning rags were kept, and where Megatron hoarded the best polishes and wax. He dug his digits into the container and shined decadently, just to spite his absent leader.

He had slept so late it was nearing midday by the time he stepped onto the bridge. Not that the dark glittering canvas of stars beyond the Nemesis's viewports reflected that. Deep space did not agree with Starscream's circadian rhythm.

Thankfully, the lights were set low, highlighting the monitors and edges of the decking in dim lilac. Starscream suspected Megatron's own high grade-induced processor ache was behind it.

"Well, I'm here," he announced, walking up behind Megatron. "What can't you handle this time?"

Megatron was already scowling, but it deepened into a glower as he considered Starscream. The overcharged familiarity of the night before now void.

"There is an errand for you to run." He rumbled, "A scouting mission on the other side of the system. Soundwave has been picking up abnormal signals from the area."

Starscream paused to absorb the information, processor hindered by the morning's frustrations. "...You're sending me on an _errand_?" He hissed, hoping he'd misheard.

"You are the fastest seeker," Megatron told him, and whether that was his leader's reasoning behind the decision or flattery he hoped would pacify, Starscream wasn't sure. "You will fly there, collect the data and return it so we can decipher any potential threats before flying the fleet through."

"Send Thundercracker," Starscream ordered rather than suggested. "Or Skywarp. Menial scouting trips are beneath me-"

"I am sending you." Megatron turned to face him, patience noticeably thinning. Like Starscream was some expendable grunt. "You are in no position to change my orders."

"I'm not going," He refused.

"You _are_ going," Megatron growled dangerously, brooking no room for argument.

"You can't do this to me!" Starscream shouted, ignoring his leader's warning tone. "I'm-!"

"You're acting like a petulant youngling because I'm refusing to indulge you in your lazy vices!" Megatron snapped harshly. "You are not _exempt_ from anything."

Heat rose in Starscream's cheeks and the bite mark on his wing itched. "I am your second." He said coldly. "You can't just send me away."

The expression on Megatron's face could be likened to detached boredom as he turned to face the stars again. "Go." He ordered. "Now. Before I lose my patience."

"And then what?" Starscream stuck his chest out, unable to curb the urge to goad his leader.

The dim lighting pronounced the harsh lines of Megatron's face as he declined his helm towards Starscream. "You know what."

So they were back to the threats, were they? The novelty of clanging Starscream must have worn off.

"Fine," he sneered, turning on his heel and stalking from the command deck before his leader could make good on his promises.

At least he had a long trip ahead of him to concoct some suitable revenge.

* * *

Space was cold. Starscream felt it freeze the outer layers of his armour the instant he left the Nemesis's airlock. He flipped into a transformation sequence as soon as he cleared the flagship's hull, choosing a jet best suited to interspace travel. His interior-com was directly linked to Soundwave, who Megatron had said would be monitoring his progress.

Spying on him was probably a more suitable term. Starscream pondered sabotaging the link about half way through his journey, just to keep things interesting for his commander.

Eventually Soundwave sent him the coordinates and orders to locate the signal origin. It was most likely an old abandoned transmitter, emitting random nonsensical jargon with it's last dying signal bursts. Starscream groaned as a cluster of asteroids came into view. The broken transmitter theory was looking more and more likely.

He swooped in between the spinning clumps of rocks, scanning the debris for any signs of life. There was no Autobot armada, not even an ambush of primitive aliens waiting for him. Megatron and Soundwave had been getting their cables in a twist for nothing. Starscream's talents were being wasted on this joke of a mission.

Still no signal transmitter though.

Starscream flipped into bipedal mode and floated down onto a nearby asteroid, surveying the thousands upon thousands of rocks he had been tasked to search. He kicked at a loose piece in frustration and watched with a scowl as it drifted lightly away.

"I still don't see why he couldn't have sent Skywarp," he muttered to himself. "This sort of mind-numbing work is his forte..."

He jumped from the asteroid and glided through open space to land on a neighbouring one. "Who does he think he is anyway?" Starscream sneered. "Who does he think _I_ am?!"

He scowled at the floating field of rocks around him, as if one of them could offer him some advice, or at least consolation. "I'll have to remind him." He promised himself. "He's grown complacent with senility. Forgotten who he's dealing with."

A pleased smirk came across his face as he glanced at his null rays and daydreamed about sticking them in Megatron's obnoxious face when he returned. Or perhaps at his back, then he wouldn't see it coming-

"And miss the light leave his optics?" Announced a voice so deep it shook Starscream, the asteroids, even the airless atmosphere.

Realising he wasn't alone, Starscream onlined his weapons, spinning to locate the threat, all the while thinking that sound shouldn't have travelled so well in the vacuum of space. There was nothing but rocks and darkness though. As the silence ticked on Starscream began to wonder if he had imagined it-

"Not imagined, no." The disembodied voice spoke again.

Starscream fired into the asteroids without aim. Whatever was stalking him might back off-

"I am not so easily frightened, traitor."

"Where are you!?" Starscream shouted, though the reach of his vocaliser wasn't anywhere near as impressive as the unidentified voice. He ignited his thrusters and pushed away from the asteroid to gain a better perspective.

"I am here."

Starscream looked up, but there was only the colourfully cloudy smog of a thousand distant stars. He snarled, resetting his weapons from stun to kill. When the stars began to move.

For a moment Starscream feared he _had_ walked into an ambush, that the stars were cleverly concealed ships. But what began to form, looming and ominous above him, wasn't anything in the realm of physically possible. A face began to assemble, the optics first, brightening red orbs like dead suns, and then the mouth, twisting into a smirk.

Starscream began to wonder if Megatron had spiked his highgrade with dark energon.

"Starscream," the thing said, demonic optics focused on his tiny form.

Starscream's response was to lift his arms and fire into it's optics, just to see if it was a corporal being, or if he was hallucinating. Or both. Predictably the blasts did nothing. The colossal demon's smirk widened.

"What _are_ you?!" He hissed, refusing to be intimidated by something that didn't even possess a physical form. It was no more threatening than a hologram.

"Not a hologram." It stole the very thought from his processor. "A friend."

Starscream snorted before he could help himself.

"Not a friend then." The smirk slipped from the being's face, "Consider me an. . . Invested party."

"Invested in what?" Starscream couldn't believe he was actually conversing with his own hallucination. Or whatever it was. "Why are you here?"

"You. Your ambitions." It's optics narrowed as it considered Starscream from high above. "You have much potential, Starscream. I would see that it is fulfilled."

At least someone had faith in him. Even if it was an unidentified figment of his imagination. "That still doesn't answer _who_ you are?"

"You may call me Unicron" It answered smoothly.

Oh _may_ he? Starscream thought sarcastically, lifting an optical ridge in cynicism. "Good thing I'm not religious."

"It's fortunate that I am not Primus then," it answered back, it's deep voice softening into something less demonic. Something natural. Almost musical. Tempting in strange ways.

"Are you here to damn me to the pits?" Starscream smirked, loath to believe a word this hallucination said. He knew of technology capable of breaching the processor. These tricks were nothing special.

"Oh I'm sure you've damned yourself enough without my help," Unicron said casually. "No. I am here to offer you something great, in exchange for a weakness that has held you back."

"What weakness?" Starscream snapped.

"Your spark."

Starscream's servo automatically flew to his chest. Beneath the armour his spark beat fast. He glared, "Kill me, you mean?"

"No, you will live." The Chaosbringer waved a huge servo dismissively. Starscream noticed that the ends of his fingers tapered off. Like claws. "Live far longer than any mortal being has the right. And you will rule."

That peaked Starscream's interest, "The Decepticons?"

Unicron nodded, "A fair deal. Wouldn't you agree?"

Starscream didn't answer. An old Vosian proverb coming to mind. _The devil weighs heavy on high wings._

Unicron seemed to lean out of the cloud and loom closer. The shadows over Starscream darkened. "I can give you the power and respect you have always craved, always _deserved_ , but never been awarded. All those who have stood in your way will suffer in your success."

Leadership, the Decepticons, the throne, all finally his. All that ever stood in his way-

"And Megatron?" He asked carefully.

The Chaosbringer grinned. "Do you wish him dead?"

The fuel in Starscream's lines still ran hot at the thought of his leader. His earlier anger bubbling easily to the surface. He clenched his fist, thinking he'd very much like to see the old fool thrown from his pedestal.

"Yes," he breathed, "I do."

"Well then," Unicron vanished from the sky, and was suddenly stood before him, grinning. "No time to lose."

Fingers like talons sunk into the armour of Starscream's chest before he even had the chance to scream. Agony burst through his spark casing for one unbearable moment.

And then there was nothing.

* * *

Something didn't feel right.

Starscream woke for the second time that day in a strange place. He floated for a moment, trying to place the source of his impending sense of doom.

He was alone, drifting, surrounded by rocks and looked down upon a star dusted sky. He rightened himself with a burst of his thrusters, checking his systems. Everything functioned as normal, everything was in the right place. Only...

The signal was gone.

He wasn't sure he could remember finding it. All he could remember was... a strange dream.

He glanced at the stars again. Still and unmoving. There was no demonic face, no devil-like spectre offering him omnipotence in exchange for damnation. It was a dream. As he had suspected.

Well then, mission completed. He uploaded the Nemesis's coordinates into his navigational computer, letting it set his course. After one last suspicious glance, he blasted out of the asteroid field and back into open space.

The place was starting to creep him out.

* * *

By the hour Starscream reached the Nemesis most of it's crew had retired for the evening. All save Soundwave awaiting him on the bridge, ready to hear of his findings. Megatron's absence did not go unnoticed.

And the old rust bucket had the nerve to call _him_ lazy? Starscream seethed over his leader's hypocrisy as he strode through the ship towards the officer's quarters. Megatron's decrepit age was no excuse for him to shirk his own responsibilities.

He stabbed the key entry into the door panel for his quarters with unnecessary force, imagining every button as Megatron's idiot face, and slipped inside before the automatic doors had fully opened, keen for the privacy of his own room so he could vent.

Only to discover the very subject of his ire sat on the end of his berth.

"Starscream," Megatron greeted him smoothly, expression betraying nothing.

"You can get out," Starscream offered back, avoiding his leader as he crossed his room, putting as much space between them as possible. "I completed your inane mission if that's what you're here to pester me about."

"It wasn't, but that's good to know." Megatron stood and moved to close the distance between them.

Starscream tried to hurry away without making it look like he was avoiding him, wishing his room was bigger. "Then leave. You have no right to be in my quarters."

"This is my ship," Megatron reminded him. And that was the end of that argument.

"...What do you want?" Starscream asked eventually, seeing as the only way he was going to get his leader out of his room was to humour him a little. "It better not be a 'face because I'm nowhere near overcharged enough for that..."

Megatron ignored the comment, and seemed to be focusing instead of the finer details of Starscream's private room. It wasn't often his leader visited him here, and of the handful of times he had, Starscream didn't think he'd ever made it past the doorway. He wondered what had changed now. What had made his commander so curious.

"I have been thinking," Megatron finally began, hardly looking up as he paused by Starscream's desk, casually sifting through the data piles as he spoke. "About us."

"Us?" Starscream's face screwed up in confusion. He hadn't been aware there had even been an 'us'.

"Our relationship."

"What relationship?!" He snapped, because he was fairly sure their joke of an affair could hardly be called something so... _so functional_!

Megatron finally met his gaze with a glower, but failed to elaborate on this supposed relationship of theirs. His jaw squared off as he looked down at Starscream, as if he was mustering up to something.

"I've grown... rather fond of you." He admitted.

And Starscream stared at him. Because that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard and he dealt with _Skywarp_ everyday.

"Fond?!" He spat. And he wished Megatron would wipe that faux sincerity from his expression. "Just this morning you were threatening me-!"

Megatron rolled his optics, "Fine." He interrupted, "Stew in denial all you like Starscream, it doesn't change anything."

Starscream wasn't quite sure what he meant, but it worried him. Especially now that Megatron was moving back across the room towards him, only now his legs didn't seem to have the sense to back him away.

"You've got some nerve calling _me_ deluded." He complained anyway, glaring at the insignia covering Megatron's chest so he wouldn't have to meet his optics.

"I only need you to know not to expect preferential treatment," his leader continued undeterred.

"Why would I?" Starscream huffed.

A digit caught him under the chin and tipped his face up.

"Why indeed," Megatron almost smiled, and leant in to close the distance between them.

Starscream tilted his helm to the side and let him, mouth curving ever so slightly as their lips met.

* * *

Starscream couldn't recharge after that.

His sobriety left everything he had just experienced fresh, clear, and dangerously vivid in his proactive processor. With no highgrade to aid his self-denial, to remove responsibility, the evening left him feeling rather... awkward to say the least.

Worse still, Megatron was still an unconscious mess of sprawled limps and heavy snoring next to him. Perfectly content to leave his vulnerabilities out before his very treacherous second.

This had never happened before.

Driven to the very edge of the berth by Megatron's immense bulk, Starscream sat up and observed him closely.

There was a chance he was faking, that he was simply waiting for Starscream to make the inevitable move to end his life and successfully catch him in the act. But Starscream wasn't going to walk into such a obvious trap.

Megatron's arm was resting on the berth besides his hip. Starscream lifted it carefully. It was heavy, but there was no resistance. He held it above Megatron's snoozing face, and dropped it.

To his surprise, Megatron really was asleep, because the heavy limb landed with a sharp clunk when it smacked his leader in the nose. Starscream hurriedly feigned ignorance as Megatron's snore broke off into a surprised snort.

"Starscream?" His voice was deeper and raspier from recharge. "What-?"

"What is _wrong_ with you? Flailing around and hitting yourself in your recharge," Starscream quickly fabricated. "I don't need any more excuses to evict you from my quarters you senseless lump."

Uninterested, Megatron yawned, mouth stretching wide, and rolled over, leaving Starscream to stare at his back.

Fine then. Starscream scowled and gave his leader a shove to make room for himself. They'd just lie together on the berth like some parody of domesticity. And if someone woke up dead in the morning it was hardly going to be his fault.

* * *

No one died, and Megatron left in the morning. Thank Primus. But not before stopping to swoop Starscream into a kiss so firm and fierce it had his life flashing before his optics like a train wreck.

Thanks to that he spent the rest of the day looking a little like he'd been tangled up in a Combaticon combination.

He found the most effective way to cope with pent up frustrations was to take it out on underlings, so he ventured down to the hanger bay where a selection of seekers waited for the privilege of abuse.

"Screamer!"

Or the privilege of abusing him it seemed.

Thundercracker and Skywarp were marching with purpose towards him, both clearly aggravated about something. Starscream wracked his processor, trying to determine what offences he had committed recently that might be the cause of this upset.

"What's going on?" Thundercracker demanded when he reached him, and Starscream was surprised to see their anger seemed driven by concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Starscream sneered at them. Mother-henning was unbecoming of his trine. "Get a grip."

"Then why are you blocking us?!" Skywarp argued, "Bonds been dead on your end since yesterday."

Yesterday? Starscream tested it, and found that Skywarp was right, for once. He reached in to open it up, assuming he must have closed it off when he had been with Megatron last night, only to find-

Nothing.

"I can't-" he looked between his trine mates, both of whom were waiting with impatient frowns. He touched his chest plates self-consciously.

"Whatever you're doing, can you stop?" Thundercracker pressed, touching his own chassis. "It kinda hurts you know, feels like..."

Starscream shook his helm. It was almost like his spark wasn't-

"I have to go." He said, turning on his heel and marching back the way he came, ignoring his trine's calls of protest as he left.

* * *

Most would have gone to the medic, but if what Starscream suspected had happened, had in fact happened, he'd more likely be subjected to experiments than he would treatments at Hook's servos.

Only once he'd reached the privacy of his quarters did he let his cockpit slid away. His intakes stalled in apprehension as he waited for the intricate transformation sequence to reveal his spark casing. The seam in the middle split, folded apart, and-

Nothing.

He was empty.

An hysterical sob-laugh escaped his vocaliser.

It wasn't a dream. What happened yesterday. It wasn't a dream.

Gingerly, he touched the empty chamber, digits brushing the inside. It was stone cold, not even a remnant of his spark remained within the dark empty hole.

He breathed through the shock. He was still alive, still thinking, still functioning.

He took a moment to reassure himself. He hadn't noticed it until just moments ago, so his condition was unlikely to affect his day to day life. Asides from his bond with his trine of course. He could live without them though. He had done before.

The most concerning matter was why he wasn't yet sat upon the Decepticon throne? Why he didn't have scores of sycophants worshiping the very air he flew through? Why he wasn't already using Megatron as a living footstool?

Perhaps these things took time. But how on Cybertron could he be sure Unicron would deliver on what he had promised?

He glanced cynically at his own ceiling. It wasn't like he could just com the malevolent personification of the Pit himself and ask for an update on the situation.

"So much for paying your debts on time!" He shook his fist at the ceiling, just in case the Chaosbringer could hear him. "And since when was a hypothetically verbal contract valid anyway, you cheating piece of s-"

"Starscream?"

He broke off mid-swear. Megatron was in his doorway, trying not to look so concerned about having caught his second-in-command screaming into thin air. Starscream arranged his expression into something resembling normality, silently reassuring himself that Megatron had caught him in the midst of stranger things.

"Oh, Megatron," he attempted a smile. "How -how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." Megatron's brow furrowed. "Are you-"

"None of your business." Starscream quickly cut him off. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

"My ship." Megatron reminded him again, and some of his concern faded off as a smug little smirk curved his mouth. "I was looking to invite you out for a flight? That is if you're not too busy talking to yourself?"

Starscream tutted, remembering their conversation the night before. "And here I thought I wasn't to expect special treatment?"

Megatron stepped out of the doorway, extending a servo with such chivalric manners that Starscream momentarily forgot about his hollow chest as a strange warmth filled him. "Think of this as an exception."

He considered the proffered servo. The last thing he needed mid-crisis was an over-involved lover. But a suspicious, paranoid leader would be equally as hindering.

"Fine," he agreed, but slapped the servo away. Physical contact between them was limited to when they were too overcharged to know better. Or as in the case of last night - experiencing so severe a lapse in judgement that they might as well have been drinking.

"Let's see if you can keep up," he added, just to wipe the satisfaction off his leader's face as he swept from the room first. "After you've burnt some of the cobwebs from your thrusters of course."

Megatron laughed at his jibe and reached to tweak a wing in retribution. Starscream darted forward with an indignant squawk, fleeing down the corridor as his leader gave chase.

* * *

Predictably, Megatron's attempts to keep pace with him bordered on the comedic. He couldn't make the turns, or match the speed, and Starscream delighted in flying loops around the marvel that was Megatron's un-aerodynamic lump of an altmode.

He circumnavigated the Nemesis, sweeping low across it's hull as he glided between intricate ridges and trenches, knowing his leader wouldn't follow without a death wish. He flipped belly up and caught sight of Megatron, hoovering in bipedal mode above the ship, watching him.

Curious, Starscream put his thrusters in reverse and pulled away from the flagship, looping back around towards his leader.

"Stamina not quite what it used to be, mighty leader?" He smirked as he transformed, drifting weightlessly closer.

Megatron hummed, staring at him oddly.

Amusement quickly transmuted into discomfort. Starscream folded his arms across his chest, conscious of the hollow feeling beneath his armour. He couldn't tell, could he?

He missed his chance to ask. Megatron shook his helm, optics refocusing, and looked away.

"That's enough for today I think," he said, transforming and swooping back towards the airlock. "Starscream, come." He ordered over the com.

Distracted, Starscream failed to muster the motivation to argue. He followed Megatron obediently, avoiding his leader's concerned gaze as they reentered the ship.

* * *

The high commander's private quarters were built into the bow of the Nemesis. It's broad viewport offered a spectacularly unobstructed view of the galaxy laid out before them.

Starscream could happily sit and star gaze from the comfort of his leader's berth all night, watching the distant lights melt into stripes as the flagship accelerated into light-speed. The low hum of the hyperdrive working three hundred yards beneath them pleasantly muffled all other noise pollution. Save for Megatron's steady intakes beside him.

He tore his gaze from the view and glanced at his leader sprawled on his front, mouth slightly agape, back decorated by the half dozen or so pretty blue scars Starscream himself had painted with his digits.

Restless, he slipped from the berth, careful not to disturb his leader as he eased his wing out from beneath a heavy black servo.

Megatron was an avid reader. The entire back bulkhead of his quarters was covered in shelves built to store over a lifetimes worth of datafiles. Starscream knew his leader well enough to know he'd be unlikely to find much factual material amongst the literature, asides from the odd historical or political document. Megatron preferred ancient prose and classic verse, epic mythology interwoven with his own skewered philosophical beliefs.

Starscream disdained of fiction.

Spying a file of vaguely religious nature he withdrew a datapad from his subspace and slotted it into place. He crossed the room and sat before the viewport in one of Megatron's oversized chairs to read.

He flicked through all the preachy nonsense about Primus and briefly scanned most sections on the Well of AllSparks, but quickly grew frustrated when the file failed to provide information of any use. Most of the advice was on how to avoid temptation and damnation in the first place, but nothing offered the slightest bit of help on how to skip out on the consequences of ignoring step one.

Starscream flung it away from himself, datapad and all. The resounding clatter in the otherwise silent room roused Megatron with a jolt.

"Starscream," He groaned hoarsely, rolling on the berth. "Can vandalism not wait till dawn?"

The last thing Starscream needed was Megatron growing any _more s_ uspicious. He needed distance, at least until... until he put things right.

"Sorry," he sneered, pushing away from the chair and letting it scrap noisily across the floor. "Did I disturb your beauty sleep?"

Megatron sighed in a long suffering fashion, "I don't care what you're up to, Starscream," he growled, "So long as you do it quietly."

As insulting as it was that his leader would just assume he was 'up to something' in the first place, Starscream brushed the comment off. If Megatron presumed he was in the midst plotting against him he'd be less likely to notice... other things.

"Fortunately for you, I was leaving anyway." Starscream crossed the room quickly, sure he could make it out the door before Megatron woke enough to protest, or worse, seduce him back into the berth.

Megatron sat up, a little crease forming between his brows as he frowned. "Stay till morning."

Spoken like an order, rather than a request.

"No," he said, moving to the door release before he could be tempted to linger.

Megatron reached for him, and Starscream knew all it would take was meeting those deep crimson optics, and he'd be falling back into berth with his needy commander. He avoided Megatron's gaze like it could turn him to stone and darted through the doors before they had really opened.

* * *

It was still early when Starscream ventured down to the databanks storing the archives. The information held there stretched further than what Megatron's impromptu personal library could. Documents spanning thousands of subjects collected over millions of years, he was bound to find something.

He had hoped to sneak in and search through the data before the shifts changed and he'd be forced to evade the dozens of Decepticon's crawling through the corridors on the way to their various duties. Unfortunately, there was always _one_ Decepticon it was impossible to avoid.

"Starscream." Soundwave greeted him formally, blocking his access to the databanks. "Early in the cycle for research?"

Starscream felt a probe brush at his processor courtesy of his coworker and scowled. He would not let this snooping, scheming, sycophant prise delicate information from his mind. He clamped down on his shields, sneer twisting his mouth.

"Get out creep," he shouldered past Soundwave. "I have work to do. And it's classified."

"I was not informed-"

Starscream smirked, "That's why it's _classified_. Now shoo!"

But Soundwave remained, visor dimming as he considered him. "Lord Megatron is concerned for your wellbeing."

Starscream nearly fell off his seat at the abrupt and unexpected subject change. "What?! When have you- why are you talking to Megatron?"

"Lord Megatron; concerned." Soundwave repeated. "Your behaviour has been. . . erratic."

Nausea settled low in his tank. He glared at Soundwave, keeping his composure.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he tried, digits fidgeting on the console keyboard as he struggled to meet Soundwave's visored gaze. "Your spy network is getting lazy. I'm perfectly fine."

It would take more than lame denial to mollify Soundwave. "I sense deception." He began to loom over Starscream's wing, much like Megatron would when he caught him twisting truths. Only creepier. "Starscream; hiding something."

"I don't see how it's any of your business!" Starscream slammed his fist into the keyboard, entering a stream of nonsense into the archive's search. "Or Megatron's! Since when has he given a slag about my wellbeing?"

Soundwave paused, and Starscream almost rejoiced, thinking he'd finally rendered the unrelenting nuisance speechless. But-

"Lord Megatron has long awaited intentions concerning you."

Starscream's processor rapidly breezed through the hundreds of scenarios that cryptic statement could mean. None of them were pleasant. He turned back to the monitor, shoulder vents hunching. "Well if you're done threatening me..."

"Threat; unintended." Soundwave was quick to defend himself. "Concern; sincere."

Yeah right. Starscream remained silent, randomly searching irrelevant subjects until he heard the third-in-command give up and leave the room. Finally.

Naturally, searching 'Unicron' brought up billions of results. At a glance almost all were useless.

One text -so old the ancient glyphs had to be translated before it was readable- explained in long-winded, damning tirades what suffering the Pit held for those whom cohort with unholy beings. Spectres, demons, the scorching heat of the smelters, and the endless abyss of dark that lay beyond the pain, where all sparks eventually faded to nothingness.

Starscream switched to a new document. More than one source detailed what happened to sparkless frames. A slow decay of both mind and body, hollowness that ate away until just shadows were left.

Eventually Starscream decided studying outdated information almost as old as Megatron himself really wasn't helping. There was more to his condition than this nonsense. He was perfectly functional for a start.

He erased the search history and closed down the system, wondering if it would be worth trying to track down the rogue signal that had led him into this mess in the first place.

* * *

Soundwave was woefully inept when it came to activating the ship's the long range scanners in search of the mysterious signal. After the forth failed attempt Starscream shoved him out of the communications room and starting running the system himself.

When the scanners failed to work the fifth, sixth, and seventh time Starscream deactivated the system and threw his chair at the screen. At least now it had a reason for not working.

His only remaining option was to fly out and look for it himself.

Returning to the original source of the signal would be a three day flight by now, and it was unlikely his absence would go unnoticed. Or unpunished. Ordinarily he'd send some nobody out to do it for him, but given the delicate nature of the situation there was no one he could trust.

He had planned to set off as soon as he had stolen a sufficient amount of energon for the long trip, only to be scuppered mere metres from the hanger bay.

"Where are you sneaking off to?" A loud voice bounced off the empty corridor walls.

Starscream feigned deafness and ignored it, but the speaker's legs were considerably longer than his. Strong digits curled around the edge of his wing and he was yanked back to stare straight into Megatron's frustrated face.

"Ow!" He cried dramatically, slapping his leader's servo away. "See, this is why we need a safe word!"

Megatron wasn't the slightest bit amused. "Your trine have been harassing me all day." Ah, that was why.

"Why is that my fault?" He sneered, "Brig them if they're annoying you that much."

"I have," Megatron growled. "And I have half a processor to do the same to you."

"What have _I_ done?!"

"That's precisely the question I was about to ask you," Megatron leaned closer, and it had been so long since he'd done it to intimidate rather than seduce that Starscream found himself rather disorientated. "What _have_ you done?"

He shrugged sheepishly, trying for an innocent smile, "Why, I don't know what you mean."

His leader's scowl deepened. Starscream swallowed, optics darting to the open hanger, so temptingly close. As soon as he broke open space, Megatron could never catch him-

That tiny ray of hope died as Megatron circled him to block his escape route out of the ship. "You're not leaving my sight until you explain yourself. What are you plotting this time? I thought we were past this..."

A little offended, Starscream frowned. "I'm not plotting anything, you big dolt."

"Your actions as of late have been rather suspicious," Megatron said stiffly, though commendably calmly given how frustrated he seemed. "You've been sneaking around again, keeping things from me-"

"I keep many things from you." Starscream sniffed.

"But not your trine." His leader arched a brow. Starscream would have liked to slap that expression off his stupid face. "Something so private you can't share?"

Starscream wracked his processor for an answer. Ridiculous that his mind could process quantum mechanics faster than the blink of an optic but stalled uselessly when trying to concoct a simple excuse. "I... have a malfunction." He said, rather lamely.

"Is that why you felt the need to raid the fuel stores?"

Starscream cursed himself for not thinking to deactivate the surveillance systems. He should have known Megatron would have someone watching him. "Maybe it is!" He snapped defensively.

His tone seemed to rile something in leader. That same something that curled fists and clenched denta and raised tension in Megatron's broad shoulders, all of which made Starscream's evenings with him that much more exciting. He watched a gear twitch in his leader's jaw. A little spark of warmth ignited between his hips.

"I'm warning you, Starscream," Megatron rumbled darkly, stepping closer to exaggerate an already considerable height difference between them. "Whatever you are doing, you cross me again and there won't be anymore second chances."

Having lost count of how many second, third, and probably even eleventh chances he had had, Starscream simply tilted his helm and smirked at his commander knowingly.

Megatron snarled, black servo surging forward and fisting Starscream's throat. His thumb pressed down against a vital cable with the tiniest hint of a warning. Starscream's smile became strained, but lost none of its smugness.

"Safe word?" He wheezed out.

"I'll give you 'safe word'," Megatron growled menacingly, but it softened into a rolling purr as he tugged Starscream closer, inclining his helm, bumping the bridges of their noses together. Rough lips dragged across Starscream's before closing into a firm kiss.

The moment grew fevered, hurried, as Megatron released his throat in favour of grasping his hips, pulling their frames flush together. Starscream fit against his leader's broader frame like they'd been built for each other. He threw his arms around Megatron's shoulders and kissed him harder.

He could feel the warmth of Megatron's armour, the beat of his strong, fast spark beneath solid grey chest plates. He felt it pulse for him, but had nothing to answer back with.

He pushed Megatron away.

His leader withdrew reluctantly, lips swollen from where Starscream had bitten them, optics questioning, "What...?"

Distracted, Starscream's servos went to his own chest, feeling at the cold armour. He hadn't realised he'd been backing away until his wings met the corridor wall behind him. Before he could remember to pull himself together, Megatron was already advancing.

"What is it?" His leader demanded, all rough concern. He grabbed Starscream's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. "Do you need a medic?"

Starscream shook his helm as much as he could in Megatron's ironclad grip. "I'm fine!"

He tried to shake his leader off, but Megatron cupped his face with both servos, narrowed optics searching his expression for some sign of a glitch, some kind of tell.

"You feel cold..." Megatron murmured, annoyance receding in light of worry. Starscream squirmed, intakes kicking up a gear. His leader wouldn't have to look much closer to realise...

"Then maybe you should warm me up a little..." He shoved away his anxiety and laid a servo against Megatron's hard chest, frame twisting invitingly, thinking if this didn't distract his leader, nothing would.

But Megatron hesitated, revealing yet more gentlemanly mannerisms he'd picked up from Primus-knew-where.

Did he have to do everything around here?

With an irritated huff Starscream yanked him down by the chest plate and kissed him firmly, one leg hitching up against his leader's thigh in a silent request that he be lifted. Megatron obliged, forgetting his manners and hauling him up by the aft, groping his plating with all the chivalry of a Kaonian gutter dweller.

He was pressed against the nearest bulkhead as his leader kissed back slow and deep, skilfully enticing little moans of delight with a well honed technique. Starscream let his arms drape across broad shoulders, legs tightening around Megatron's waist, more than content to let his leader take him right then and there. But it seemed Megatron had something more private in mind.

Five minutes later they had somehow navigated through the ship -blind and throughly distracted- and found their way back to Megatron's quarters.

Starscream was laid carefully across smooth berth covers. Two strong servos spread his thighs apart and then he was pushing into Megatron's warm, hungry mouth, helm dropping back to the plush berth, mouth falling open. His strained vocaliser stalled on desperate, hoarse pleas.

Megatron's wet mouth kissed up his cockpit, past his hollow chest and didn't even pause, didn't even notice. Like the chamber beneath the glass and metal wasn't cold and empty.

He moaned, "Megatron," and was hushed with a smooth kiss, the taste of himself lingering on his leader's lips.

"Tell me what you want." Megatron murmured between kisses, knocking their helms together affectionately. "Tell me where."

Starscream didn't mind playing this game when they were so overcharged they couldn't see straight. When he had the patience for hours of foreplay and Megatron's teasing was almost endearing.

"Don't be an idiot. You know where." He grumbled, arching his neck into Megatron's mouth.

And it was strange to think just how well Megatron did know. Knew every wire to pluck, every sensor to brush. Knew him inside and out and everywhere in between. So Starscream tried _not_ to think about it.

He relaxed as Megatron laid kisses across his right wing, opening his thighs and letting his leader fall between them. Hips shifted and with one careful push-

Starscream gasped sharply. The familiar stretch sent tingles up his backstrut and his digits tightened on Megatron's arms. He felt his leader shudder against him. Heard him murmur into his neck. Whispering his designation like it was the last line of his favourite sonnet.

Starscream shuttered his optics and whispered his back.

* * *

Starscream's chest armour cramped for the eighth time since he had last overloaded. He shifted in discomfort, relaxing plating and gears until the sensation passed. He knew it wasn't a coincidence that his supposedly empty spark-chamber had begun to revolt, but of course, a full systems diagnostic revealed nothing.

He grit his denta, suppressing an exhausted groan as armour clenched again. This time the ache spread to his whole torso.

He couldn't seem to escape that feeling of dread -that this is what a slow death would feel like.

Megatron was still awake beside him, his presence a strange comfort, absently caressing his wings, touch gentle and soothing, almost affectionate.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Megatron asked, servo drifting to wander down Starscream's curved back strut. His leader must have noticed how tense he was. Knuckles pushed at a joint and began to knead.

He rolled over to give Megatron room to work. "Higher," he ordered, shifting to get comfortable, and smirked when his leader obeyed after only the shortest of pauses.

"Don't get cocky," Megatron warned, dropping a playful bite to his shoulder as he worked his servos up Starscream's back. The added pressure aggravated Starscream's chest. He winced.

Megatron noticed, "Feeling delicate today?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Starscream snorted, working to conceal his continued grimace. "It's just a massage."

"I was referring to earlier," Megatron growled, nudging at his shoulder to roll him onto his back.

Starscream wanted to laugh in his face, probably would have. But for some reason he just didn't feel the irony. "You've hurt me far worse than that before." He reminded him anyway.

"Not anymore," Megatron paused, voice suddenly soft. "I won't fight with you again."

"You say that now..." Starscream muttered, but felt queasy, like something was squirming in his tank.

"When have you ever known me not to keep my word?"

He sounded serious. Starscream could barely look at him, servos wringing nervously.

"You are of infinite value to me," Megatron told him slowly, and leant in so close Starscream could feel breath on his lips. His optics fluttered shut in anticipation. "I don't want to lose you."

He shook his helm when he couldn't find the words to protest, even as Megatron dipped his chin to begin kissing him again. Starscream responded sloppily, mind elsewhere. He should have been halfway across the galaxy chasing after that signal by now. Not stuck here, suffering an overly affectionate and obviously malfunctioning Megatron.

He was contemplating how to worm out of Megatron's clutches without inciting a temper tantrum when his leader's mouth moved south.

Lips pressed to a warming codpiece and any thought of leaving drifted from Starscream's mind as he quickly sent the command to release his spike. Megatron hummed in approval, mouth opening.

Perhaps he could stay just a little longer...

* * *

Starscream was subjected to a horrible sense of déjà vu when the door-com woke him the next morning. He groaned, throwing an arm to Megatron's side of the berth, searching out warm armour to nudge his leader awake, make him deal with the disturbance.

When his digits found little but cooling covers he groaned again in frustration. Megatron had returned to old habits. Which meant the racket outside the commander's quarters was a wake up call for him. He rolled off the berth and forced himself to muster some dignity to better counteract the inevitable embarrassment of being caught in Megatron's berth by yet another underling.

As if his reputation wasn't bad enough already.

His mood sunk even lower when he found the Decepticon sent to fetch him wasn't someone he could bully as easily as Soundwave's twins. Astrotrain towered over the doorframe and looked about as happy to see Starscream as Starscream was to see him.

"What?" He snapped when a good few minutes of awkward glaring had passed.

Astrotrain's lip curled in disgust, "You're wanted in the medbay. Lord Megatron sent me to... 'escort' you."

Starscream strongly suspected 'escort' was going to be synonymous with 'kidnap' today. He frowned, thinking quickly. Astrotrain was rather fond of manhandling mech's smaller than himself. He didn't need to give the larger mech an excuse. "Don't bother. I can walk there myself."

"He said you'd say something like that," Astrotrain looked a little too pleased with himself. "He said not to listen to you."

"Well _I'm_ ordering you to-"

With a condescending roll of his optics Astrotrain reached out, grabbed the servo Starscream had started pointing at him and yanked him over the threshold of their leader's quarters. The door slipped close behind him before he could pull himself back, leaving his only sanctuary inaccessible.

"You can't-!" It was incredibly difficult, even for someone as agile as Starscream, to put any distance between himself and Astrotrain's immense bulk in the cramped corridor. "I'm your superior, you glorified taxi!"

Astrotrain pinned his arms to his sides and tucked him under one arm, completely unhindered by Starscream's avid struggling.

"You'll regret this," Starscream hissed when it became apparent he couldn't fight free of Astrotrain's hold. "When you wake up tomorrow with your aft welded to the ceiling just know that I, Stars-!"

His threat was abruptly interrupted when the giant lump of an errand boy dropped him and let him clatter to the floor outside the medbay door. On cue, as if half the faction had rehearsed this little intervention, the doors opened to reveal a grinning Hook. Starscream hardly had time to threaten the medic before two Constructicons appeared to drag him inside, scrapping his pristine paint across the floor.

He snarled. "You'd better repair that, you-!"

"Megatron wanted us to get you in here 'by any means necessary'," Hook announced cheerfully. "I'm sure our leader won't mind a few scuffs."

"There's nothing wrong with me!"

"There's plenty wrong with you," Scrapper interjected, helping Longhaul lift him onto the examination berth. "Quit squirming! It's just a scan."

'Just a scan' was going to reveal how he was an empty chested freak! What if they decided he had no more life in him than a drone? What if they decided to experiment on him? Megatron would probably let them too. Sadistic creep.

"Now," Hook appeared over him with the scanner. "Lie still," he ordered, and rather unnecessarily, considering two hulking Constructicons had him pinned down so he _couldn't_ move.

Starscream grit his denta as it began to scan up and down his frame. His schematics would be downloaded within minutes.

"There, now was that really so difficult?" Hook patronised as he finished up, lowering the scanner. The lump in Starscream's throat made it impossible for him to come up with a smart reply. "You can let him up now."

They did, reluctantly. Scrapper continued to glare at him as he collected the datafile containing Starscream's scan from Hook and entered it into the main databank, waiting for it to load on the viewing monitor. Starscream glared back, watching as he passed the unit holding the bulk medical reports of every other Decepticon on the ship.

One caught his optic.

Yes... that could work.

He slipped off the berth with all the seductive grace his high-caste code held and smirked. Scrapper glanced back at him, glare softening with suspicion. "What're you up to, Screamer?"

"Scrapper," he purred, letting his wing brush the larger mech's shoulder as he moved to his side. "You look... _Different_."

Scrapper gawped a little, especially when Starscream stepped into him, touching their chests together. The Constructicon hesitated, almost backing away. Starscream slipped a digit under his chin and drew him back. "New armour?"

Scrapper shook his helm, "No I-" his optics shifted nervously to the door. "...uh, Megatron-"

"I'm not happy with Megatron," Starscream reminded him, drawing little circles on Scrapper's chest so the Constructicon wouldn't notice his other servo wandering over the medical files. "He's too serious, too old. I'm looking for something more casual, with someone a little younger..."

Scrapper's gaze had not-so-subtly wandered from Starscream's face as he'd been talking. Wide red optics leered at his wings with obvious desire. Starscream let him ogle as he pulled Skywarp's medical records from the storage unit.

"I dunno," Scrapper mumbled at Starscream's chest. "I don't wanna get slagged..." He made a valiant attempt to avert his gaze just as Starscream was switching out his scan for Skywarp's.

He caught Scrapper's chin and turned him back, letting his breath ghost across the Constructicon's lips as he leant in, smiling teasingly. "He doesn't have to know."

His smile widened further as the monitor behind Scrapper began to load an image of Skywarp's perfectly functional frame. He crushed the datafile containing his own scan in the palm of his servo.

His distraction cost him though. Scrapper closed the distance between them, sealing their lips in a wet, unwelcome kiss. Starscream grimaced. Scrapper tasted like foul energon and cheap high grade, and his servos and glossa wasted no time before wandering places Starscream didn't particularly want them wandering. He quickly extracted himself.

"Ugh," he wiped his mouth on the back of his servo, glaring at Scrapper's hopeful expression. "On second thought, I'm not interested."

Scrapper looked somewhere between spark-broken and infuriated, "But you just-!"

Hook chose that precise moment to reenter the room, saving Starscream from having to witness Scrapper making a complete spectacle of himself.

"Let's see what this scan turned up then," the medic commented, looking to Starscream with clear anticipation written all over his expression, like he couldn't wait to torment him over whatever unfortunate ailments turned up.

Starscream smirked to himself, pleased the medic would never get the satisfaction.

Hook hummed as he observed the scan, glancing at him a few times. "Unusual." He commented.

Starscream's tank dropped, "What?"

"You're telling the truth." Hook shrugged, "There's a first time for everything I suppose."

Starscream's relief was somewhat marred by indignation. "I trust I am free to leave!?"

"Don't worry," the medic called after him. "I'll be sure to inform Lord Megatron that whatever's going on, there's no medical excuse for it."

It was less of a reassurance than it was a threat. He sneered at Hook's retreating back and was about to turn on his heel and march from the medbay in search of his leader to tell him just what he thought of his impromptu kidnapping, when a large servo closed around his wrist.

His optics rolled towards the ceiling. Of course. Scrapper.

"I told you, I'm not interested-"

"I saw you switch the files."

Starscream paused, then frowned. "Well congratulations half bit. You're not as stupid as you look."

Scrapper scowled, "Don't sass me Screamer. Unless you want your precious leader to find out."

Oh, so the dolt was going to try and blackmail him? "What do you want? An energon cookie to say well done?"

Scrapper stepped into his personal space, bumping his chest with Starscream's. "You can't just tease a mech like that. You should finish what you started."

So that's what he wanted. Starscream might have humoured him had he not demanded something so revolting.

He shoved Scrapper back a little. "I don't think so."

The Constructicon didn't seem inclined to give up without a fight. He knew he had valuable information to bargain with after all, though he didn't know why. "Way I see it you don't have a choice. Think about it Screamer, night with me can't be as bad as a slagging from Megatron."

Starscream thought it amusing that most grunts just assumed Megatron beat him over every teeny tiny lie he told. If that were true he'd be in permanent stasis by now.

He laughed coldly, "That's if he believes you. Your word against mine?"

"The word of a treacherous liar!" Scrapper snapped.

Starscream snorted, because his secrets hardly mattered in light of what Scrapper was trying to threaten him with. "I hope for your sake he doesn't believe me, Scrapper. Because I don't think he's going to be very angry with me for hiding things when a slagger like you threatened to force yourself on his beloved Air Commander."

Scrapper's face fell.

"Don't worry," Starscream patted a cheek condescendingly. "I won't tell if you don't." He smiled.

* * *

It wasn't difficult to notice Soundwave following him. His motives for doing so turned out to be the least of Starscream's concerns -he found himself wondering how this faction had any special ops at all when the commander in charge of the saboteurs was quite so incompetent.

Unless Soundwave was deliberately trying to unnerve him.

Starscream was forced to take long detours through the maintenance corridors in order to evade him, wasting yet more of his day. The ache in his chest was prominent now, interior components around the area had begun to cramp and rushing through the ship wasn't doing anything to help.

He ducked into a store room as soon as he could, stumbling over crates and spare parts before the auto-lights flickered on. He wiped the dust and grime from what appeared to be a damaged chest plate and tilted it so he could see himself in its reflection. Whatever was going on inside of him, he needed to see.

His cockpit shifted out of the way as his armour folded back, revealing the sickeningly empty chamber in the centre of his chest. He winced, digits brushing the edges of the dark cold casing. They came away covered in rust.

He quickly sealed himself again, wiping his servo on the nearest crate as he starred at his blurred reflection in the chest plate. He was an empty corpse, rusting from the inside out.

"Bastard," he hissed, cursing everyone he could think to blame. Mostly Megatron. This was all his fault for sending him out there in the first place.

"Then why haven't you killed him yet?" A voice asked.

Starscream optics snapped back to the chest plate, where his reflection rippled and changed into the grinning face of the speaker. Unicron.

"You!" Starscream snarled, moving to lift the broken plate and fling it across the room. "Liar!"

"Don't blame me," Unicron said cooly, even as his image clattered to the dusty floor. He stared up at Starscream, unimpressed as he watched the seeker rush forward to stamp on his face. "You're the cause of the delay."

Despite himself, Starscream paused, one thruster poised above Unicron's slageating grin. "What are you talking about?"

"I thought you wanted to be leader?" Unicron arched an optical ridge questioningly. "Your actions as of late haven't reflected that."

Starscream scowled down at him, "Of course I want to be leader!" He snapped, "You're the one who hasn't kept his word! You said you'd deal with Megatron! You're a sham!"

"I said I could help you. Not that I would do your foul deeds for you."

The personification of evil and suffering had a lot of nerve calling _him_ foul.

"You have had countless opportunities," Unicron continued. "I have influenced Megatron into lowering his guard as much as he ever will. It wasn't difficult, he is already so infatuated with you. But your behaviour is unsettling him. You'll have to act now, before he grows anymore suspicious."

"Act?" Starscream blanched, "Me? You mean _I_ have to kill him?!"

"Of course. You are the only one who can."

"Then-" Starscream didn't want to think too hard on what they were actually discussing here. "I could do this on my own! What would I need you for!? Forget it-" he kicked at the chest plate, "The deals off. Give me back my spark."

Unicron shook his helm, the edge of his mouth curving into an all too pleased smirk. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Starscream. Your spark belongs to me now, regardless of how this plays out. If you're too cowardly to utilise the opportunities I have to offer, then that is your loss."

"Then change it!" Starscream tried not to let desperation seep into his voice, "I don't want that old fool dead right _now_ , I just- I want-"

"You are deluded if you believe there will ever be reality where Megatron will sit quietly and let you rule in his place." Unicron gave him a pointed look, already beginning to fade from the reflection. "Victory cannot come without sacrifice."

"I have sacrificed." Starscream hissed, "You have my spark."

"Not all of it," Unicron murmured thoughtfully.

Then he was gone, leaving Starscram to stare at his own dusty reflection in the chest plate.

* * *

The code to Megatron's private quarters matched the Cybertronian year the Decepticons had won the battle of Tyger Pax. It was also the year Megatron had made Starscream his second-in-command.

His leader's sentimentality made it too easy to guess. Starscream let himself in. If Megatron was going to be lazy with his security he deserved to suffer trespassers.

It was midday and his leader would be on the bridge, terrorising anyone unfortunate enough to be on monitor duty that afternoon. Predictably his quarters were empty. He had returned since Starscream had left that morning though. His large desk in the far corner of the room was in carnage, strewn with datafiles and reports. He had left a projector on as well. It hummed with the image of a large map, cataloging their progress through this galaxy.

Starscream sighed, moving to rectify the situation, wondering how anyone could be productive in such a cluttered working environment.

His knuckles brushed the projector as he moved a stack of datapads, and being an older model, it skipped to the next image. He huffed when he recognised the pristine architecture of Iacon. He lifted it, thumb brushing over an arrow to move through the holograms. There were a lot of schematics, for ships and weapons, a few maps, one or two Autobot surveillance images. Boring things really.

Until his own image popped up.

He paused.

The projection was old, very old. And completely unflattering. Starscream considered the young scowling rebel he'd once been carefully, and eventually recognised the setting as the holding cells he'd been taken to after his arrest in Iacon. This was the mugshot taken shortly before his massacre of the Council. Megatron had been so proud.

But what on Cybertron was it doing here?

He switched the device off and tossed it back to the desk, frustrated and tired and unwilling to consider why Megatron would be keeping pictures of him.

Behind him the door com buzzed positively as it unlocked to let someone in. Starscream didn't need to turn to know it'd be Megatron. He folded his arms and fixed his gaze squarely on a cluster of stars he could see beyond the viewport.

"Don't you have a ship to run?" He asked, because his leader had spent an inordinate amount of time stalking him these past few days and surely had better things to do.

"Hook sent me your medical file." Megatron said in lieu of answering, "You're completely functional. Suspiciously so."

Only Megatron could find fault with perfection.

"Don't take your paranoia out on me." Starscream snapped.

He felt his leader's presence close in behind him. Warm armour brushed his back as arms circled his waist and a chin came to rest atop his helm. Starscream remained stubbornly rigid, refusing to relax into the embrace.

"Something is still not right," Megatron murmured, a persuasive lilt to his tone, "You should tell me."

"Nothing to tell," Starscream said through gritted denta, cursing his leader for being so perceptive, for being so attuned to him. "Maybe I just need _space._ "

Megatron's arms tightened around him possessively, "You don't. Or else you wouldn't be in here."

"How do you know I'm not just here to steal something?" Because Megatron had caught him rummaging through his desk dozens of times before. "Or to poison your private fuel stores?" Because again, it wouldn't be the first time.

He could almost hear Megatron's smirk. "Call it a lover's intuition."

Starscream felt nauseous. The rust must be spreading to his fuel tank.

Megatron twisted him in his arms so that they were facing, frames flush together. "Since you're here, there's something I've been meaning to speak to you about."

Whatever it was -insult, accusation, threat- it could wait. Judging from his leader's serious tone and expression it wasn't going to be something he wanted to hear anyway. He tried to look away, "Later..."

But Megatron was determined, catching his chin before he could turn away. "No, now. I meant to say this the other night, before you ran off..."

Now Starscream really did think he was going to purge. It was like something had teleported into his tanks and was shaking everything up. He swallowed thickly, unable to tear his gaze away as Megatron brushed the backs of his digits down his cheek.

"We should bond."

Starscream was pretty sure he had just blacked out. The only thing keeping him upright was Megatron's arm around his waist.

"Starscream?"

He met his leader's pressing gaze and realised he was expected to answer.

"Are you crazy?!" He squeaked.

"Probably," Megatron was nonplussed by his outburst. "It's been a long war, Starscream..."

"And you want to bond in the middle of it," he squirmed, testing the strength of his leader's arm. It wasn't letting go any time soon. "Maybe I don't want to go down with you when Prime finally knocks your inflated helm off."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take for you." Megatron seemed tired, "I would rather die with you tomorrow than live another thousand years apart."

Starscream's throat was too tight to speak. That hollow pit in his chest filled with something that felt a lot like guilt. Not an emotion he was used to feeling.

Had circumstances been different, he might have just agreed. He'd learned recently how much easier it was to just go along with Megatron's constantly changing whims. Now though...

He could always run the risk of his leader's reaction later, after his intended prised his way into an empty spark chamber. Outright rejection wasn't likely to prolong his life for much longer anyway. Starscream had seen the destruction a scorned warlord could reap.

Either way he was going to end up in a ditch. He didn't have much more too lose at this point.

"Fine," he sniffed, as apathetic as possible. "But you'd better not get yourself killed just to spite me."

He risked a glance at Megatron, and his leader simply nodded, looking more satisfied with Starscream's consent than anything else. "I intend to go on living for quite a while yet, I assure you."

Starscream didn't respond to that. His earlier conversation with a demon drifted back into the forefront of his mind and he felt itchy on the inside again. Probably the rust.

That was his cue to leave. "Well this has been an pathetically sentimental waste of time-"

Megatron's arm around his back might as well have been welded there though. Just as Starscream was considering how stealthily he could 'accidentally' knee his commander in the groin-

"Seeing as we're already on the route of sentimentality," Megatron began, and Starscream, anticipating something sappy, struggled a little less subtly. "I meant what I said earlier."

His leader had said a lot of odd things lately (most of which, Starscream realised, were probably Unicron's doing -and didn't that make him feel sick) so he wasn't entirely sure what Megatron was referring to.

"Whatever you've done," his leader's voice dropped into something soft and reassuring and very Un-Megatronly. "Whatever stupid ridiculous situation you've gotten yourself into this time, tell me now. Tell me and I can fix it."

There was something irresponsibly tempting about offloading all of his troubles and soured unholy deals on his only somewhat suspecting leader. Megatron did have a talent for beating impossible odds. But common sense told Starscream that his leader might be unfairly biased in favour of preserving his own spark if he was to explain the small print conditions of his arrangement with the Chaosbringer.

"You are a drama queen," Starscream slipped away with a sneer, suppressing a shudder as a sudden chill came over him. "I'm perfectly innocent."

Megatron's look of extreme disbelief was almost comical.

"What?" Starscream folded his arms, "I'm not interesting enough for you unless I'm plotting to overthrow your rusty old hide?"

"You are many things Starscream," his leader sighed wearily, but looked at him with such fond resignation, "but boring won't ever be one of them."

Starscream swallowed thickly, briefly wondering if Megatron would remain so 'fond' if he knew how seriously his second was still considering taking his life. Unarmed and vulnerable and oblivious. He wasn't even wearing his fusion cannon. Starscream knew all the right cables to tear out of his throat. He could sit back and watch him suffocate on his own life-fluid.

Unicron was right. It would be easy.

And what did he have to lose?

A servo brushed his shoulder and he snapped out of it, shrugging Megatron's touch away.

"I left something in the lab," he could barely look his leader in the optic, "I'll be right back."

He saw Megatron nod, unsuspecting, and quickly shuffled around him, keeping his helm low as heat grew around the edges of his optics.

* * *

When Soundwave appeared less than ten minutes after Starscream had fled, dragging a terrified Constructicon by the scruff bar, Megatron knew he should never have let the seeker escape his quarters with such a lame excuse as 'getting something from the lab'.

He was as frustrated with himself as much as he was the absent Starscream, and he didn't even know what the damn seeker had done yet.

Soundwave wordlessly thrust the Constructicon, Scrapper, in front, and gave him a vigorous shake when he failed to communicate in anything but nonsensical rambling.

"ItwasStarscreamIswear!"

"What?" Megatron demanded, looming when Scrapper shrunk away in fear.

"He threatened me!" Scrapper gasped, "I would have come forward straight away I swear, lord Megatron, I swear!"

He wasn't explaining fast enough for Megatron. And every second the idiot Constructicon wasted here was another second Starscream was off doing Cybertron knew what. He snatched Scrapper by the neck, lifting him until his pedes only skimmed the floor.

"What has he done?" He snarled.

Scrapper whimpered until Megatron gave his delicate throat a little squeeze of encouragement. "He- he switched-! Switched the scans! Switched with Sk-Skywarp's!"

Megatron dropped him, helm snapping to Soundwave. "Find that scan!" He barked, and kicked the heap of metal Scrapper had curled into at his pedes, "And get this out of my sight!"

* * *

With the proper life-threatening encouragement, even the most useless of Decepticons could get things done rather quickly.

Megatron towered over Hook as the medic searched through the system files with shaking servos. Starscream had destroyed his original scan, but the file could still be downloaded from the scanner's backup memory.

"I found it!" Hook suddenly announced with hysterical relief. "It's still here thank the-"

Megatron shoved him out of the way, enlarging the small file to see what it was that Starscream had gone to such great lengths to conceal. He didn't need to study it for long.

A bolded red alert message stamped across the centre of the full frame scan read bluntly, "No Spark Signature Found." The sinking feeling that had begun when Starscream had first disappeared grew a whole lot worse. Megatron gripped the edge of the desk, scowl deepening.

"That's impossible..." He heard Hook murmur behind him. "Must be a glitch in the system..."

If it had been anyone else, any other Decepticon's scan that had come up like this, Megatron would have agreed. But nothing was impossible when it came to Starscream.

"Where is he, Soundwave?"

His third was lingering in the entrance to the medbay, "Cetus system. Estimated destination; source of unidentified signal."

That signal. That was when Starscream had begun acting so strangely.

"Permission to deploy unit to retrieve Air Commander Starscream." Soundwave asked.

Megatron released the edge of the desk, ignoring the dents his fingers had left in the dense metal. "Don't bother," he shoved past Hook and the cluster of cowering Constructicons. "I'll get him myself."

* * *

Starscream would probably credit his continued survival through revolution and war and treachery and making an enemy of just about every being in the known universe to an instinctive premonition he got whenever something really awful was about to happen to him.

As he was now sensing such a feeling he could only guess that Megatron was mere moments from swooping down on him with all the budding fury of a lover deceived, ready to enact such hideous retribution that he could only be thankful for no longer having a spark left to be extinguished in the first place.

And within those estimated moments the muffled whoosh and flash of a huge warship slipping out of hyperspace behind him announced the arrival of said deceived lover.

He had barely turned, let alone come up with an excuse, before an airlock was opening to expel Megatron's viscous looking altmode, flying fiercely towards him.

Starscream could outfly Megatron with no wings and one thruster any day of the week, but doing so would be little use in the long run. If his commander had found him once, he could find him again.

He flipped into bipedal mode, swallowing down the half formed excuses that would do little more than incite Megatron's already explosive fury, and waited for his commander to reach him.

Megatron transformed before him, letting his momentum carry him the rest of the distance. His mouth set into a hard line, fists twitching at his sides as if he could hardly restrain himself from throttling him.

Starscream didn't dare look away.

"Get in the ship." Megatron hissed, voice quiet and hoarse, like his vocaliser was straining under the urge to shout.

Starscream flew a wide arc around Megatron before obeying, just in case his leader's control slipped and his wings were torn off in the process.

When he was greeted at the airlock by a stern Soundwave and fidgeting Hook, his resignation turned to panic. They knew. He backed away as the realisation of what could happen now hit home, cursing himself for not fleeing whilst he had the chance.

His back hit something hard and unrelenting. He tilted his helm back and saw Megatron's upside-down glower. "I-!"

Megatron caught him around the shoulders and shoved him against the bulkhead, knocking the air from his intakes. His servos went for Starscream's chest plates, and even as Starscream struggled, began to prise the armour apart.

"No!" Starscream tried to kick him away, denta bared, claws scratching. "Get off me!

Soundwave and Hook watched silently. The medic leaning in keenly.

The armour creaked, about to give, and Starscream's override codes released the plating before there was any permanent damage.

Hook gasped in what sounded like horrified awe, and Megatron's grip on him tightened. Starscream offlined his optics. He couldn't look down at himself, didn't want to see how much things had deteriorated. Megatron snarled, and he braced himself.

His leader cursed, "Primus, Starscream, what have you done?" Megatron shook him when he failed to answer, "Look at me!"

He did, leaning as far back as the bulkhead behind him would allow. "It's not my fault!" He tried. "I didn't-"

"What have you _done_?!" Megatron shouted.

Starscream flinched, throwing his servos out to protect himself. "I'm sorry!" He begged, "It was an accident! Please-"

Megatron stopped listening to him, turning on Hook who had been watching the entire exchange with morbid curiosity. "Don't just stand there you idiot! Full diagnostic. Now!"

Even as he ordered Hook forward, Megatron couldn't seem to bring himself to release Starscream. The poor medic had an awkward job scanning Starscream's frame around his leader's bulk.

"No spark signature found," Hook read off the diagnostics screen, eyeing Starscream apprehensively. "...Are you sure he's not...?"

Starscream knew what the medic was implying. "I'm not a zombie!" He snapped, and would have swiped at Hook had Megatron not been restraining him. "Back off Frankenstein!"

"He is not dead," Megatron growled, ignoring his outburst. "...Not yet at least."

Starscream squirmed self consciously, wishing he would let go so he could seal his chest plates again.

"But how is this possible?" Hook wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Megatron's dark optics met Starscream's. "But I intend to find out."

* * *

Starscream soon realised that It was actually Soundwave and his handy talent for telepathy whom was going to find out. The loyal third stood over the throne Megatron had ironically strapped Starscream to, visor glowing threateningly.

"What," Megatron repeated for the tenth time, pacing just out of sight behind the throne "Did you do?"

Starscream set his jaw and stared Soundwave right in the visor, "I woke up like this." He said stubbornly.

"Lie," Soundwave intoned.

Starscream would have liked to kick the facemask off his stupid helm. As he was tied down, he settled for mustering the dirtiest look he could.

Megatron stepped around the throne and leant in threateningly, causing Starscream to twist his neck cables awkwardly as he cringed away. "Lie to me one more time and I'll invite Hook back in here to raid your processor."

He paused to let that sink in, and Starscream found himself really not liking that option.

"So what was it," Megatron continued, "Some insane experiment gone wrong? Made an enemy out of a necromancer?"

"I'm not stupid," Starscream hissed indignantly.

"Clearly you are," Megatron bit harshly, glancing pointedly at his chest plates.

Starscream twitched as interior plating began to crawl.

With a heavy sigh, Megatron straightened. "Soundwave," he murmured, massaging his temples, "Leave us."

With one last ominous stare at the restrained Starscream, Soundwave nodded to their leader and left the room obediently.

Now alone with his commander Starscream's apprehension doubled.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Starscream was barely capable of looking Megatron in the face, let alone answering him.

"I-" his vocaliser stalled embarrassingly, "I didn't mean for this to happen." He said quietly.

He looked up just in time to see a broad grey chassis. Megatron knelt before him in the throne, servos reaching to frame his face, forcing him to meet his gaze. "Who did this to you?"

"You'd never believe me..." Starscream muttered. And why on Cybertron would anyone? Even 'undead zombie' and 'alien clone' were more plausible explanations than the truth.

Megatron arched an optical ridge. "Try me."

* * *

'A problem shared is a problem halved', is something Starscream remembers having once heard Prime preach at his insipid followers.

Prime had obviously never shared his problems with Megatron.

"Oh, look who's decided to finally show up!" A loud, sarcastic Skywarp shouted as Starscream was unceremoniously shoved into the brig. "Where in the pit have you been?"

"What did you do?!" Thundercracker joined in angrily.

"Can you fools not leave me in peace for five minutes!" Starscream barked. He was trying to _think_ , slag-it.

"We've been trapped down here for days!"

"Yeah, you couldn't have asked your boyfriend to let us go, ya selfish fragger!"

Starscream bristled, "The pair of you can rust down here for all I care."

"Looks like you'll be joining us," Skywarp sneered, "What happened? Bad breakup?"

"No!" Starscream snapped, fighting back a furious blush at his trine's knowing smirks. "I have only been... 'placed' down here for our dear leader's peace of mind."

Thundercracker frowned, "You tried to kill him again, didn't you?"

"If I had tried to kill him he'd be dead," he boasted.

Skywarp laughed, loud and obnoxious.

Starscream rolled his optics, and caught sight of Soundwave still lingering outside the cell.

With a snarl he rattled the bars at him. "I'm locked in, stalker! You don't need to stare at me the whole time!"

Soundwave didn't move. "Starscream; to remain under guard until Lord Megatron returns." He began to drone away. "Starscream; untrustworthy."

Skywarp snorted again.

"Where has Megatron gone?" Thundercracker asked curiously, leaning up against the bars next to his trine leader.

"Yeah, and when's he gonna let us out?"

Starscream leant in, as eager to hear the answers as his trine. Megatron hadn't shared much with him besides murderous glares and strings of nonsensical cursing before ordering him down here and out of his sight.

"Lord Megatron is embarking on a vital mission." Was all Soundwave said.

Something unpleasant stirred in Starscream's tank. He had a bad feeling about this. "Where?"

Soundwave considered him, "...Classified."

"I outrank you!" He argued.

Soundwave ignored him.

"Ah, c'mon Sounders," Skywarp grinned cheekily, draping himself over the bars. "We all know you like to gossip. Tell us the juicy stuff."

Sadly, Soundwave's conviction remained unaffected by Skywarp's charm and they were all left staring at each other in awkward silence.

"No." Soundwave intoned eventually.

Skywarp groaned and flopped against the bars. Starscream wished he'd have the consideration to do it quietly as he struggled to keep track of stirring thoughts.

Like where Megatron had gone.

When something clicked into place.

"You didn't give him the coordinates for that signal, did you?" He asked, a buzz of anxious energy sparking through his frame.

Soundwave was still for a moment. "Classified."

That could only mean 'yes'.

The interior rust must have spread to his intakes as he struggled to breathe. Clutching the bars he breathed a curse. He knew where Megatron was going.

He could hardly claim to understand the chaosbringer's motives, but he knew at least, that Unicron wanted Megatron dead.

"Let me out!" He squawked, shaking the bars. "Soundwave you idiot, he's going to get himself killed!"

Soundwave stared back at him, unfazed.

"You don't know what he's doing! We have to go after him!"

"Lord Megatron is perfectly capable of-

"-Of being a complete moron!" Starscream shouted over the top of him, kicking at the bars. "Unicron is going to kill him and then I'll never get back my spark and Megatron will be dead and everything will be ruined Primus dammit! _Open the fragging cell, Soundwave_!"

Thundercracker and Skywarp were staring at him with bright, round optics.

"...Never get back your _what_!?" Thundercracker breathed, horrified.

"Will you keep _up_ , Thundercracker!" he snapped impatiently, turning on Soundwave. " _Do something_!"

"Lord Megatron's orders dictate-"

"Don't worry, Screamer," Skywarp's servo suddenly closed around the edge of his wing. "I got your back."

And with a sudden flash and nauseating shift of space and time and every law of physics, Starscream found himself out of the brig and standing before the hanger bay on the other side of the warship. He turned to his trine-mate slowly, but Thundercracker, who had also been dragged along, beat him to it.

"You could warp out of there the _whole time_!?"

Skywarp shrugged, "Well duh."

"Why the pit didn't you-"

"Enough!" Starscream snapped, shoving past them both to the airlock. "I don't have time for this. Come on!"

Thundercracker put aside his frustration with Skywarp in order to focus on Starscream instead. "Not unless you tell us what the frag is going on? Your spark?!"

Starscream waved a dismissive servo, hardly looking back at him as he keyed in the code to release the airlock. "Unicron has it."

"Yeah TC, no big deal," Skywarp muttered sarcastically. "Like you haven't thought of trading your life force to reign eternal."

Starscream ignored him, servo poised over the airlock seal, "Are you coming or not?"

His trine shared a look, before shuffling forward.

"Well," Thundercracker began, as they waited for the doors to close. "This is officially the worst thing you've ever done."

"I know."

"And everything you do is awful anyway," Skywarp added, looking at him thoughtfully. "So that's saying a lot."

Starscream regretted inviting them along.

The airlock released and space opened up before them. Starscream burst out first, flipping into a transformation sequence and opening a com channel to his trine.

"You know," Skywarp's hideously annoying voice called over the channel. "If you still had your spark we wouldn't need to use the com."

Had Starscream still been bipedal he would have rolled his optics. "Just hurry up!"

They wouldn't be too late. Megatron's reputation as a flier was nonexistent. Starscream had seen rocks more aerodynamic than their leader. They could catch up easily. They could-

Heat, searing hot and painful, suddenly burst to life in his chest. He reared off course with a panicked shriek, flipping out of his jet form, servos searching for damage as he feared internal combustion.

 _Star?_

Thundercracker's voice. But it wasn't over the com.

He felt warm, warm and whole like he hadn't been for days, and his chest-

Servos, black and blue, were grasping him. He brushed them away, quickly releasing the command to open his spark chamber.

And there it was. Spinning back into place, slowing into a regular, healthy beat. The light illuminated the chamber's interior panels, now free of rust and pain. It was like it had never happened.

"You okay?" Thundercracker was still in his face, touching him and being weird and concerned.

He sneered and shoved him away, "I'm fine!"

The bond between them had reopened, and he could feel Skywarp's all too familiar prodding at the other end before Thundercracker too started to crowd him. They were eager to reaffirm the bond. He sighed, resisting the urge to block the link straight away.

"So, I guess Megatron managed to strike a deal after all," Thundercracker smiled, shoulders slumping, "You should give him more credit."

The joy and relief Starscream felt at being whole again was then very short lived.

"We still have to find him," he told his trine. "Quickly."

Skywarp looked bored with the adventure now that it appeared to have been resolved. "But you already-"

"Quickly!" He snapped again, igniting his thrusters and shooting off ahead.

Unicron had returned his spark. So whose had he taken in it's place?

* * *

The asteroid field was as deserted as it had been on the night Starscream had first found it. Not an inch of grey armour to be seen.

"Nice place," Skywarp muttered, kicking at a stray rock.

"Split up," Starscream ordered, flying ahead, "Find him."

He didn't bother looking back to see if his trine had obeyed, diving between and over and under the asteroids in his hurried search, scraping the paint off the edges of his wings as his turns and dips grew careless and panicked.

"Where are you?" he hissed to himself, pitching up and flying above the mess of rocks, fists tight and jaw clenched. "Chaos take him-"

"Perhaps I already have."

Starscream whirled, and there was the unmissable figure of Unicron, standing taller and broader than the largest asteroids in the field.

Starscream snarled, dropping to the asteroid before the Chaosbringer.

"I must say I am surprised to see you again." Unicron smiled, "Here to do another trade?"

"Where is he, you bastard?"

Unicron tilted his helm, "Who?"

"You know who!" Starscream bellowed, "Megatron! Where is he? What have you done to him?!"

"Megatron made his own choice." Unicron intoned cryptically. "I did nothing that wasn't wished for."

Starscream shook his helm, looking around. Megatron had to be around here somewhere. He couldn't be too late. "No. You're lying. He wouldn't have..."

"Oh, but he had a noble spark," Unicron continued casually, waving a servo. "Worth far more than yours. Rest assured that I will prize it amongst my collection..."

Starscream aimed null rays at the smug God's face. "That wasn't part of the deal, you lying piece of slag. Bring him back!"

"Yes well, a new deal was made." Unicron considered him coldly, "One that will benefit us both. You should be pleased, Lord Starscream."

"No," The spinning asteroids were making him dizzy. "No I won't let you-"

"This is what you wanted," Unicron mocked. "All that power, and nothing to stand in your way."

"I'll make a new deal," Starscream stared up at him, trying not to let panic overwhelm him. "We can find you better sparks. _Stronger_ sparks. Megatron's was defected anyway. You don't want-"

"You have nothing left to offer me," Unicron interrupted bluntly, turning his nose up. He was beginning to fade against the stars.

"Wait!" Starscream scrambled across the rock, "Just- wait. I can-"

"All hail Starscream." Unicron mocked, receding into the darkness. "Enjoy your throne."

Starscream watched, fingers carving groves into the rock, until there was nothing left but glistening stars and an empty silence.

He felt very much alone.

* * *

Soon to be continued in Part Two; Orpheus.


End file.
